Device for storage of currencies collected from vending machines

ABSTRACT

A device for holding coinage and paper currencies collected from a vending machine comprising a single ply wear resistant, opaque and waterproof container formed into two compartments joined at their base by a line of reinforced stitching or adhesive, having open ends parallel to and opposite their joined base. Each compartment has a securing means affixed to the open end, thereby enabling separate storage of coinage and paper currencies collected from the vending machine.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/165,764, filed 23 Jun. 2005 entitled “A Device for Storage of Currencies Collected from Vending Machines”, which is a continuation application of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/583,906, filed 29 Jun. 2004. The disclosures of the above-referenced applications are incorporated herein in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to equipment used in the collection of currencies from vending machines. In particular, a device for separately bagging and storing coins and paper money.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the business of vending machine operations, there is a need for individuals to periodically collect coinage and paper monies from the vending machines. Typically, all currencies are collected in a bag or pouch and taken to a secure location for separating, sorting, counting and compiling.

In the collection process, a single bag or pouch is used to hold all the currencies for a given machine. Unfortunately, this method can cause damage to the paper money and requires the additional work of separating the currencies before they can be mechanically counted.

Another problem arises when a vending machine is located outside. The currency can become wet due to rain or snow during collection. This requires drying the currency before counting and packaging.

Therefore, there is a need in the industry for a device that provides separate storage of coins and paper money collected from vending machines and is able to keep the currency dry in inclement weather.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a device for separate storage of coinage and paper currencies collected from a vending machine comprising a wear resistant, opaque and waterproof container formed into two compartments. The compartments are joined at their base by a single line of stitching or adhesive, having open ends parallel to and opposite their joined base. A securing means is affixed to the open end of each compartment to enable separate storage of coinage and paper currencies collected from the vending machine.

The device may be provided in a reusable or non-reusable form. When the device is reusable, it is preferably constructed of a wear resistant, opaque and waterproof material. The securing means is preferably a zipper and for accounting purposes the device may further comprise a bar code or other form of coding.

When the device is non-reusable, it may be constructed of a heavy gauge plastic polymer with adhesive as a securing means. In this configuration, the device may further comprise a removable cover sheet to protect the adhesive strip prior to use. For security and accounting purposes the device and the removable cover sheet may comprise a matching bar code or other form of coding.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

FIG. 1: (A-C) is a diagrammatic representation of one embodiment of the present invention in a reusable configuration showing (A) the front view, (B) the top view and (C) the side view, (D-E) is another embodiment of the present invention in a non-reusable configuration showing (D) the front view, (E) the top view and (F) the side view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein have the same meaning as are commonly understood by one of skill in the art to which this invention belongs. All patents, patent applications and publications referred to throughout the disclosure herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the event that there is a plurality of definitions for a term herein, those in this section prevail.

The term “container” as used herein refers to an enclosure for collecting and storing currencies, with an open end that can be securely sealed. The container is made of a wear resistant, opaque and waterproof material. That material may be a high density closed mesh waterproof fabric or a heavy gauge, opaque polymer plastic.

The term “material” or “fabric” used interchangeably herein, refers to a wear resistant, opaque and waterproof woven textile. This is distinguishable from materials or fabrics that do not have these characteristics, which include netting, web-like weaves or open mesh weaves, which can be seen through.

The term “wear resistant” as used herein refers to a container made of a material or plastic that is resistant to the wear and tear accompanied by continued use in the collection of currencies. Materials or fabrics that are considered wear resistant include those labeled as tear resistant or heavy duty including thick fabrics considered to be semi-rigid.

The term “heavy duty” as used herein refers to materials that are resistant to wear because of their construction, weave or thread thickness used to prepare the material. For cotton, a heavy-duty material for the purposes of this invention may have a gauge number between 2 and 10 and a corresponding weight of approximately 32 ounces and 14 ounces per square yard respectively.

Synthetic heavy-duty fabric is graded by “Denier” to express the size of the fiber used to weave the material. Materials over 400 and up to 1,500 Denier are considered heavy duty for the purposes of this invention. Preferably the Denier of a synthetic fabric used in the present invention is between 500 and 1,000.

The term “semi-rigid” as used herein refers to a material that is not completely rigid and not easily pliable without the use of some force to bend, fold or flex the material. This is directly correlated to the number gauge of the natural fiber or the Denier of a synthetic fiber used to construct the material. The weight of natural fiber above 14-ounces/square yard and a Denier of a synthetic fiber above 500 may be considered semi-rigid.

The term “tear resistant” as used herein refers to a fabric wherein reinforcement threads are interwoven at regular intervals in a crosshatch pattern. During weaving thicker reinforcement threads are interwoven at regular intervals in a crosshatch pattern. The intervals are typically 5 to 8 millimeters. Fibers used to make tear resistant fabric include cotton, silk, polyester and polypropylene with nylon content limited to the crosshatched threads. An example of this type of fabric is Ripstop.

The term “waterproof” as used herein refers to fabrics that are inherently, or have been treated to become, resistant to penetration by water and wetting. Those fabrics that are not inherently waterproof can be laminated to or coated with a material such as rubber, polyvinyl chloride, polyurethane, silicone elastomer, fluoropolymers or wax to prevent water penetration.

The term “reinforced stitching” as used herein refers to the use of break resistant thread to divide the container into two compartments. The stitching may be provided in a single line or multiple lines positioned in close proximity. If multiple lines of stitching are used, it is preferable that all the lines are contained within a width of ¼ inch or less.

The term “affixed” as used herein refers to a means for securely retaining one element of the device to another by a variety of means known to one skilled in the art. For example, a zipper may be affixed to an open end of a compartment by sewing or adhesive.

The term “securing means” as used herein refers to a means for providing a closure to a bag or a pouch, for example, a zipper, adhesive, ZipLock™ or other similar means.

The present invention is a device for collecting coinage and paper currencies from a vending machine. The device comprises a container formed into two compartments joined at their base by a line of reinforced stitching or adhesive, having open ends opposite their joined base and a securing means affixed to the open end of each compartment.

Container

The size of the container 12/20 is dependent on the amount of coins and paper money to be collected from a vending machine. The container 12/20 is divided into two compartments by a single line of heavy duty or reinforced stitching about the middle of the device and parallel to the open ends. (see FIG. 1). Each compartment is approximately the same size and generally rectangular in shape.

Under certain circumstances, one compartment may require more storage volume than the other due to the particular nature of the vending machine operations and/or the type(s) of currency collected. Therefore, it may be preferable to provide one compartment with a larger volume. For example, in one configuration the coinage storage compartment may be larger than the paper money storage compartment.

In the United States all paper money has the same dimensions. Consequently the compartment size will be based on those dimensions and the volume of bills anticipated for a particular vending machine. However, paper money in other countries often has different dimensions based on denomination. Consequently, one skilled in the art would provide a compartment size that is sufficient to hold the dimensions and volume of the currency anticipated for a vending machine in a particular country.

In general, the size of the compartment is a function of the length and width of the paper currencies, the anticipated thickness of a volume of stacked bills, the anticipated volume of coinage and how easily the currency can be inserted into the device. For example, to hold a one-inch stack of U.S. currency bills, the size of the compartment should be about 8 inches in length and about 4 inches in width with an opening of about 8 inches. Preferably, the size is about 9 to 10 inches in length and about 4 to 5 inches in width with an opening of about 8 to 9 inches. In a similar way, one skilled in the art may determine the size and shape of the present invention for other countries where the coinage and paper currencies are of different dimensions.

The container 12 may be constructed from a variety of materials known to one skilled in the art that provide sufficient strength, rigidity and durability to withstand the service of operation. The material should be resistant to wear encountered by coinage being dumped into the device from the vending machine, stacking and transport. These wear resistant materials may be heavy duty (for long life), tear resistant (for strength) and/or semi-rigid (for durability) and are opaque (for security), single ply (for simplicity of manufacture) and waterproof. For example, the container 12 may be constructed of a synthetic or natural fiber heavy-duty canvas, leather, synthetic leather, reinforced fabric, heavy gauge plastic or a combination of these materials. Preferably, the material is wear resistant, opaque and waterproof material.

The container 12 may be provided in a reusable configuration or it may be designed for one-time use. In a reusable configuration the container 10 is provided with a securing means 14 such as for example, a zipper or ZipLock™.

The device may be secured further by using a locking means. The locking means could comprise a zipper pull-tab with an aperture, a metal ring secured to compartment near the closed end of the zipper and a padlock. When closed, the zipper pull-tab and metal ring are secured together by the padlock.

In a non-reusable device 20, the material used for construction would be a heavy gauge polymer plastic. The plastic should be inexpensive and opaque. In addition, the plastic should be strong enough to withstand being torn open, but easily opened with a sharp implement. The securing means 14 is permanent and the container 12 cannot be reopened without destroying or causing irreparable damage to the device. The securing means, in this configuration, is preferably an adhesive 16.

One skilled in the art would recognize that there are methods that could be utilized with the present invention to identify the collections from particular vending machines. For example, the use of bar codes 18 affixed to the exterior of the device could serve to identify each individual collection.

Securing Means

The securing means 14 refers to a system for sealing the open side of each compartment. In a reusable configuration, the securing means 14 may be affixed to the container 12 by sewing, adhesive, rivet or other method known to those skilled in the art. A variety of securing means 14 for the reusable configuration may be obtained commercially, and include for example, a zipper, Velcro™, snaps or ZipLocks™.

In a non-reusable configuration, the securing means 14 are permanent, permitting access only by cutting. Preferably the securing means is an adhesive strip 16. The thickness of the adhesive 16 strip could be from about ⅛ inch to about 3 inches. Preferably the thickness of the adhesive strip 16 is not less than about ¼ inch to not more than about 2 inches and most preferably ½ inch to 1 inch.

Device 20 may be configured to have a flap containing adhesive 16. The adhesive strip is provided with a protective cover to prevent damage before use. Following currency collection, the user seals each compartment by removing the protective cover, folding over the flap and adhering it snuggly to the opposite side of the compartment. Correspondingly, the adhesive 16 may be provided on the opposite side of the compartment from the flap. Alternatively, the adhesive 16 may be applied at a location distant from the opening. When closing the compartment the user is directed to roll or fold the open ends of the compartment and adhere the roll or folded region to the opposite side of the compartment.

In another configuration, more than one adhesive 16 seal is utilized. For example, the two configurations described above could be used simultaneously. The user first sealing the open end using the flap and then rolling that end and adhering it to the side of the compartment.

When using adhesive strips 16, corresponding or identical bar codes 18 on the removable adhesive protection strips 22 and the device 20 may be utilized to confirm collection data and deter theft from personnel in the field.

Assembly

The device of the present invention may be assembled in a variety of ways. For example, the material used to form the container may be formed into a tube by rolling and affixing the ends of the material by sewing or with adhesive. The compartments may be prepared by a single line of reinforced stitching sewn across the middle of the tube and parallel to the open ends. In a re-usable configuration, zippers may be affixed to the open ends by sewing or with adhesive.

If the device is constructed of plastic polymer, heavy gauge tubular plastic sleeves of the appropriate dimension may be manufactured according to the desired specifications. The tubular plastic is cut into desired lengths and the tube fused in a single line about the middle and parallel to the open ends. The ends may be cut to provide flaps or other desired configuration for receiving the sealing means. The sealing means, such as an adhesive, is deposited in a strip along the length of the open ends. A removable protection sheet is applied to the adhesive to prevent the flaps from adhering or being damaged prior to use.

In either configuration, a bar code may be applied to the device for identification, tracking and record keeping. In a non-reusable configuration, the adhesive protection cover may also have a bar code identical to its container as an additional security measure for matching records with the storage device.

Use

The device is designed with two separate compartments that may have the same or different dimensions, depending on the typical collection practices for particular vending machines.

For devices that are designed to be reusable, the operator opens the vending machine to gain access to the collected currency. The operator collects and deposits the paper money into one of the compartments and seals the compartment with the sealing means. The operator then holds the second compartment under coin storage area and activates the mechanism that releases the coinage. The operator then seals the second compartment with its sealing means. The order in which the currency is collected is a matter of operator preference.

The currency may be further protected by securing the zipper pull-tab to a metal ring affixed to the closed end of the zipper using external locks such as padlocks. When the currency is to be counted, the locking devices are removed and the compartments unsealed to access the currency.

In a non-reusable configuration, the coinage and paper currencies are collected as above. The compartments are sealed with the permanent sealing means and later accessed for counting by cutting open the device. 

1. A device for holding coinage and paper currencies collected from a vending machine comprising: a single ply wear resistant, opaque and waterproof container formed into two compartments joined at their base by a line of reinforced stitching or adhesive, having open ends parallel to and opposite their joined base; and a securing means affixed to each open end of said two compartments, thereby enabling separate storage of coinage and paper currencies collected from the vending machine.
 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the device is constructed of a heavy gauge plastic polymer.
 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device further comprises a bar code.
 4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said securing means is a zipper.
 5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said securing means is an adhesive. 